The Baháʼí faith has two of its holiest places in Israel, and the Mansion of Mazra'ih is the quieter of them. It stands in the farmland north of Acre, near the coast, a large Ottoman-era house surrounded by gardens and orange trees. Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the religion, spent years as a prisoner in the fortress city of Acre, and when his confinement was relaxed in 1877 he moved here, living in the mansion for a couple of years before settling at nearby Bahjí, where he died in 1892.
The mansion and its gardens are part of the Baháʼí Holy Places in Haifa and the Western Galilee, which UNESCO listed in 2008. Visitors are welcome in the gardens, and the atmosphere is calm and formal, with clipped hedges, paths and a pervasive scent of citrus and jasmine. Dress modestly, expect to follow instructions from the staff, and be ready for questions about photographs. The mansion has an interesting history before it became a holy place, having been a country house of an Ottoman governor.
Acre itself, a few kilometres south, is an extraordinary old port city with crusader halls and Ottoman walls, listed by UNESCO in 2001, and it is a short and easy ride. The coastal road, Route 4, runs north to Nahariya and past some good beaches, and inland the hills of the Western Galilee are cut by roads with tight bends and views over olive groves and small Arab and Druze villages. Traffic can be heavy, driving habits are brisk, and the hot, humid summer afternoons are best spent in the shade; spring and autumn are the best seasons for riding.
Nahariya, about two kilometres away, has fuel, a seafront promenade and plenty of cafes, and Acre has famous hummus places in the old city, which you eat sitting at a plain table with a big pile of pickles. Opening times for religious sites vary with holidays and the Sabbath, so check before you go, and be aware that the security situation in the north can change quickly.